Jacksonville teen arrested for armed robbery

By DAILY NEWS STAFF

Published: Thursday, December 6, 2012 at 10:06 AM.

When deputies began searching the area where Inman was last seen, and Deputy T. McAllister located him in the bed of a nearby pick-up truck. Inman was holding the recently stolen money, the stolen bank bag and a BB gun, the press release stated. He was taken into custody by deputies without incident.

Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Jacksonville teen Wednesday after an armed robbery at an internet café.

William Austin Inman, 17, of Newberry Street, was charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon and possession of stolen property, according to a press release from the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office.

At approximately 5 p.m. on Wednesday, deputies responded to a report of an armed robbery that had just occurred at Sweepstakes Internet Café on New Bern Highway.

The release stated that a black male wearing a hooded jacket entered the business and began to ask the on-duty manager questions about how the games worked, and the manager began to address those questions.

The man, later identified as Inman, allegedly pulled out a hand gun and pointed it at the manager, demanding money. There was a brief struggle between the men.

Inman allegedly grabbed a money/bank bag by the register and fled the business on foot, the release stated. The manager ran to his truck and chased Inman as he ran across U.S. 17 toward Halltown Road.

The manager followed him for approximately one mile, continuing to talk on the phone to 9-1-1 dispatchers, but he eventually lost sight of Inman.

When deputies began searching the area where Inman was last seen, and Deputy T. McAllister located him in the bed of a nearby pick-up truck. Inman was holding the recently stolen money, the stolen bank bag and a BB gun, the press release stated. He was taken into custody by deputies without incident.